Incognito, however, did think it was something he was optimstic of getting through without his name and future in the league tarnished.

"I'm just trying to weather the storm right now," Incognito said. "This will pass."

Given how much of a lightning rod Incognito has been in the past both on and off the field, the controversy feels more like a torrential front that won't go away for a long time with the NFL ready to take the next big action, now that both the league and Dolphins were aware of the messages. The question is whether it will be pouring down even more on Incogntio, or the team itself for enabling him to let the situaton get out of hand.

Also on Tuesday, the NFL Players Association released a statement saying it is monitoring the investigation into Incognito closely amid reports that the Dolphins' coach may have prompted Incognito to get Martin more in line during the offseason.